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Indian Cities Prepare for Floods with Predictive Technology

Deepa Padmanaban

June 15, 2021 |

Eos |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: British Indian Ocean Territory

In coastal cities in India, floods have led to hundreds of deaths and millions of people being displaced. To address the issue, scientists had to address a variety of factors: hydrology of the upstream region; river, tidal, and storm surge modeling; and a high-resolution digital elevation map of the city. A group of scientists from 13 research institutes and government organizations looked at all those factors and came up with a real-time flood forecasting system. It generated 800 flood scenarios. When it rains the model predicts the most vulnerable sites.

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'The Beachcombers' town is now famous for fighting climate change

Alanna Mitchell

May 18, 2021 |

Broadview Magazine |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Gibsons, British Columbia

A hit TV show in the 1970s and ‘80s called The Beachcombers brought the town of Gibsons and its logging practices into homes across Canada. After years of pollution and land degradation, it became one of the first towns in the world to incorporate nature into the municipality’s finances. Developers have to take stock of what natural infrastructure is on their property before they build. The town also launched an initiative to encourage other places to calculate the value of their green infrastructure. So far, 30 of them have signed up across the Great White North.

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The Bright Side of the Green Crab

Moira Donovan

May 13, 2021 |

Hakai Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Nova Scotia

The invasive European green crab was wreaking havoc on the soft-shell clam fishery in Nova Scotia. But fishers, researchers, and park officials worked together to remove as many of them as possible and find an alternative use for them. Their efforts were working: eelgrass meadows and clam populations were rebounding. Now, they’re testing how these crabs can be used in lobster bait, bioplastics, or even fertilizer for gardens.

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The Great Plains prairie needs fire to survive. These ranchers are bringing it back.

Brianna Randall

May 13, 2021 |

National Geographic |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Maywood, Nebraska

The Loess Canyons Rangeland Alliance in Nebraska is working to preserve grasslands through prescribed burns. Eighty-volunteer members have burned nearly 85,000 acres to stop the spread of cedar trees that disrupt the prairie ecosystem. These burns allow the grass to return, which has been helpful for farmers and their livestock. This work has inspired others in the state to create associations to share resources on how to restore their lands.

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Turning oil platforms into reefs

Celestina Olulode

May 11, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Louisiana

After oil and gas platforms reach the end of their working lives, some are being turned into artificial reefs that can create new ecosystems in the ocean. Since the 1980s, 550 platforms have been reefed in the Gulf of Mexico and programs are springing up to help industry make the switch. These reefs can be home to fish and birds, and studies have shown that some species prefer these structures over their natural habitats. While not all environmentalists agree with leaving the platforms in the water, scientists are working to understanding how similar programs can be implemented in other parts of the world.

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The long shot that saved Belize's coral

Veronika Perkova

May 05, 2021 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Belize, Placencia

After a hurricane hit the coast of Belize in 2001, it essentially destroyed the coral reefs in Laughing Bird Caye National Park. Lisa Carne wanted to start transplanting coral to regrow the reefs, but it took five years to secure funding to start her project. Restoring coral reefs is a lot of effort, so she founded a nonprofit called Fragments of Hope that hired local residents to help. Because of her efforts, over 85,000 corals have been planted and 89 percent of them survived after 14 years, The techniques used are being applied in other countries like Colombia, Jamaica, and St. Barts.

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Indonesia coral reef partially restored in extensive project

David Shukman

May 05, 2021 |

BBC |

Video |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: Indonesia

A coral reef in Indonesia has been partially restored due to the collective efforts of conversation groups, nonprofits, and even a pet food company. They laid structures on the seabed to help stimulate reef growth. Because of their efforts, they have been able to increase coral cover from 5 percent to 55 percent.

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The forest sound detectives

Nick Holland

May 04, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Papua New Guinea

After remote Indigenous communities in Papau New Guinea set aside some of their land as conservation areas, they wanted to know if it was working. With the help from scientists and The Nature Conservancy, they were able to use bioacoustics or audio recordings of the rainforests to map out the biodiversity. Using 34 recording devices, they were able to record the forest, listen to them, analyze the sounds, and determine that these areas had a healthy biodiversity.

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Community restores grasslands, makes village drought-resilient

Vinaya Kurtkoti

April 21, 2021 |

Village Square |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Dhule, Maharashtra

Lamakani, a small village in India, went barren and townspeople completely depended on water tankers after a drought in the 90s. One leader initiated a watershed movement. They applied a series of approaches which included things like watershed development, bans on grass grazing and tree falling, and collaborating with local artists to communicate messages of conservation. Now, the town is lush again.

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The fight to save India's most elusive cat

Kamala Thiagarajan

April 18, 2021 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

After a fishing cat was first documented in an Indian coastal city, state authorities, scientists, and conservationists sought to understand how many felines called the wetland home. Using camera traps, they observed 10 individual fishing cats among the mangrove forests, though this method of estimating the population is tricky. Another survey is underway as researchers study how the health of these habitats are linked to the health of the fishing cats, and how to effectively educate locals about the importance of protecting this species.

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